Saturday, August 31, 2013

I was meaning to put up this recipe last
week but my computer crashed. Like taxes and death, I guess that is inevitable
at some point nowadays.

Anyways, it’s still prime smoothie weather
here and I am now the lucky owner of Superfood Smoothies by Julie
Morris. It’s packed with so many thirst inducing smoothie ideas that it is sure
to keep my blender humming along on a regular basis. I am intrigued by the idea
of whirling together cauliflower and cocoa nibs or organizing a play date with
cashews and frozen peas.

So I thought I would adapt one of the
recipes to my regular rotation of smoothie cups. Blueberries, tofu (yes, tofu!)
and maqui powder team up to create a power packed drink. Silky soft tofu really
works well in smoothies as it provides some creamy texture and vegetarian
protein. If you have not heard of it yet, maqui powder is gleaned from the
namesake berries which are indigenous to southern Chile.
The berries are tinted with a very deep purple color which is a tip-off that
they are laced with the same anthocyanin antioxidants found in blueberries and
blackberries. A number of studies suggests that diets rich in anthoycanins can
help improve brain functioning. Which I guess is why I'm such an Einstein :) The powder is also a stellar addition to yogurt
or chocolate baked goods. So is maqui the new acai?

These smoothie cups can be blended up with
any guise of milk, but I really like them with almond milk or coconut milk
beverage. I’ll even toss in some more fresh blueberries for an added punch.

Wanna blend up these smoothie cups? Well,
it’s time for another Muffin Tin Mania giveaway? The fine folks at NavitasNaturals would like to award one of my readers with some of their very own antioxidant
plush maqui powder. To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this
blog post that says “Maqui is berry good” along with some way of identifying
yourself such as your initials, name or email address and I will use this online
tool to randomly select a winner. I’ll announce the winner Tuesday September 10th,
so if you entered write the date down on your calendar and check back in then
for a chance to claim your prize. Good news Suzan E, you were randomly selected the winner of your very own Maqui. Just pass along your shipping details using my contact button above and I'll get some sent your way.

Blueberry Smoothie Cups

2 (300 gram) packages soft tofu

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons maqui powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all of the ingredients in a blender
container and blend until smooth. The mixture should be somewhat thick.

Divide the mixture
among 12 standard sized muffin cups and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.

Unmold smoothie cups, place them in an
airtight container, and return to freezer until ready to use. If you did not
use silicon muffin cups or liners and are having trouble unmolding the frozen
cups, try placing the bottom of the muffin tin in warm water for few seconds, being
careful not to thaw the contents.

When ready to make a smoothie, place 1 cup
liquid of choice and 2 smoothie cups into a blender container and blend until
smooth. For most blenders, its best to carefully slice the smoothie cups into
halves or quarters first before placing them in the blender container.